John and Maria Glaesman

The Story of

Johann and Maria Glaesman

August Schaak came from Holland to Prussia and from there to Russia. John August Schaak married Renate Mashke.

The Glaesman family had royalty in their blood from their French heritage. During the 30 year war the Glaesman family lost all their money. They were of Lutheran religion.

August Glaesman and Renata Schaak migrated from Germany to Russia when John was very young. August was killed in a train accident. After the accident, Johann was placed in a foster home. The family’s name was Miller and Mr. Miller was a miller by trade.

John (Johann) Glaesman came from Switzerland to Prussia, and from there moved to Russia.

Maria Friesen Glaesman was German and Swedish. Maria married Johann Glaesman.
She and Johann were married in Russia January 16, 1888. Their first two children were girls. The girls both died from cholera during an epidemic.

In 1891 John (Johann) and Maria Glaesman were living in Kouban, Transkaukasien, South Russia, near the Black Sea, when on March 21st, their home was blessed with a daughter whom they named Katharina. This area is called Kaukasus (German translation: Transkaukasien). Some German-Russian villages were close to Tifilis. This area is on the East side of the Black Sea.

In the next 18 years their home would include sons and another daughter. For a total of 7 children living to adulthood.

John J., b.1893

Henry b. 1895

Gustav b. 1900

Jacob F 1903

Renata (later Schultz) b. 1906

William b. 1909.

Later, Katherine recalled crossing the Black Sea with her mother to go visit her grandmother. Katie saw storks there and thought it odd that they would be making nests when they should be delivering babies.

In 1902 John and Maria left Russia and immigrated to America seeking religious freedom and a peaceful world. They were joined by some uncles and their families. The name of the ship they came to America on was named the Konigin Luise. Their arrival was scheduled for July 30, 1902.

By the time they reached Ellis Island, New York, the passengers on the ship had been exposed to an illness (small pox?) and they were rejected in port. The ship was not allowed to dock and was deferred to the port of Galveston Texas. Once there, they were not allowed to disembark until August 22, 1902.

They lived near Fairview Oklahoma for a short time, they then moved to Corn Oklahoma and by 1903 they were homesteading in Roll, Day County, Oklahoma Indian Territory. Day County later became Roger Mills County. John Glaesman made a “dugout” (like a cave dug into the side of a hill) on his homestead where the family lived for a few years.

Two of Katie’s uncles and their families lived nearby. John got his citizenship papers while living on the homestead. No other German people lived nearby, so John and Maria decided after 5 years, to move back to Fairview.